Suspension-patch for balloons.



'H. T. KRAFT.

SUSPENSION PATCH FOR BALLOONS.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 11, me.

Patented Jul 9 1918.

HERMAN r.

xnarr, or Anton, 01110, .assrerron'ro THE GOODYEAR rrnr. a RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SUSPENSION-PATCH FOR IOAIJJOOITS. g p

' Patented July e, 1918.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed September 11,1916. Seria1No.119,512.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN T. KRAFT, a citizen of the United States, residin at Akron, in the county of Summit and tate of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suspension-Patches for Balloons, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improved form of anchor patch, and oontem plates as its principal ject the provision of means for securely attaching flexible elements to the body of a balloon envelop to provide points of support for weights which are to be suspendedfrom the envelop.

It is an object of the invention to rovide means for securing the ends of a exible element firmly to the balloon in such manner that the strength of the attachment shall be greatly increased, and to group the separate ends of a pair of the elements in such fashion that the'forceacting upon the elements, due to the weight suspended therefrom, is evenly distributed over all portions 4 of the surrounding envelo area.

It is a more detailed 0b]80t of the invention to provide strain distributing fingers which radiate from the center of a suspension patch formed by a group of suchfingers, each of the fingers securing one end of a flexible element pensioncloop upon the sur ace of a balloon particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

Wi h reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention as it is -re-'-' duced to practice, and throughout 'the several views of which, similar-reference numbers designate corresponding parts Figure 1 is aview 1n perspective showing the first step in attaching one end of a flexible element to a strainsuspension portion; i y Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a comple} cable loops,

roviding a susbe accom- I I de endent securement veop.

fin rge trated in the end of the flexible element;

the suspension Fig. 3 isa face .view of showing the patch partially completed,

grouping of the individual fingers and .a

portion of the means correlating the sepaate finge rs into a group;

Fig. 4 is a face view of the complete patch; f Fig. 5 is a face view of the under patch adapted to secure the grouped fingers of the suspension patch; and

Fig. 6 is aface view of the cover patch used to complete the suspension fitting of this invention.

For the purpose of supportingthe actual weight tobe slung below the balloon envelop, I preferably employ cord; rope or and usually place a pair of these loops at each suspension point. It is the purpose of this invention to disclose'means wherebythe rope loops may be firmly secured to the balloon envelop, and at the same time so supported thereupon that the weight dependent from the rope loo sis distributed equallyin a number of di erent directions over the surrounding area of the envelop.

In Fig. lthere isillustrated a portion ofa rope '10 which is subsequently to form-one of the suspension loops. Each extremity of this .rope ner denoted by the numeral 11 and the flattened mass of raveling is securedrbetween upper and nether portions of the fabric finger, or tongue, which is denoted as a whole by the numeral 12. Each fabric finger is composed of a lower piece 13 and an upper piece 14 and it is to the lower piece 13 that the raveled rope end is first secured. Subse uently, the upper piece 14; is ceinente and sewed uponthe lower piece 13,

tremity of the upper piece 14 terminates in an elongated tip 15 which projects. some distance beyond the tapering tip of the tionof the finger, per se, as attached, upon 10 is raveled'. out in the man- 1 under piece 13, and is adapted. for an in- 4 to thexballoon en- Cross-sew-ing further secures the revealed end of the rope 10 between the ton e portions 13 andl i in the-manner ind1cated b the numeral 16.

The finis ed ton e is of the shape illuswhich t e lower portion is cut upon lines 17 which be radial to the center of suspension, 2'. e., the loop of the rope when the latter -is finally secured to the body of the balloon. When each end of the rope 10 has been provided with its fastening finger 12, a second rope 18 is similarly treated and the two ropes, with their central loops in substantial coincidence arranged in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 1, the securing tongues 12 being grouped with respective edges 17 in contact, to provide the radially distributive strain patch shown in these figures,

The patch is, however, not complete until additional. patch pieces have been provided semi-circular piece of fabric which is pro- 'vided with a number of radial slots 20 termihating in apertures 21 through which opposite ends of the ropes 10 and 18 may protrude. v This under patch is .cemented over.

the four tongue pieces and to the balloon body, and is subsequently sewed thereto. The cover patch 22 is separately illustrated in Fig. 6 and is of such size as to completely cover the under patch 19. Similarly to the latter, the cover patch is provided with a series of apertures 23 through which I the rope ends extend, so that the coincident loops of the ropes 10 and 18 will remain 1 .upon the exterior of the completed patch.

The method of grouping the rope endswhich I have illustrated is such that two central fingers support the ends of the rope 10 while the two extreme fingers anchor the rope 18. If desired I may, of course, resort to a method of grouping which provides for alternate fingers to anchor the ex tremities of the same rope, or the equivalent method which permits pairs of extreme fingers to support both ropes in a similar fashion.

In any event, I obtain a suspension point which is capableof sustaining a relatively heavy weight without setting up undue. strains upon the supporting envelop of the The radial fingers 12 insure the balloon. proper distribution of the suspension strains over the area of the envelop adjacent the common suspension point, while the patch portions 19 and 22 correlate the fingers into a unitary group which removes any danger that the endfastenings for the paired suspension ropes may give way, since the repeated sewings and cementlngs insure the production of an enduring suspenslon patch and that, too, at relatively low cost and with the addition of but small weight to the whole balloon envelop.

What I claim is: 1. A' suspension patch for balloons, in-

cluding flexible elements, tongues adapted to anchor the extremities of the flexible elements to'the balloon and patch pieces arranged to correlate the separate tongues into i La unitary patch. I p

2. A -suspension patch for balloons, in-

cluding flexible elements provided with raveled extremities, a tongue to secure each extremity of a flexible element to a balloon, each tongue comprising upper and lower portions adapted to-anchor the raveled ex'- tremities of the flexible element therebetween and patch pieces grouping separate tongues to form a unitary suspension patch.

3. A suspension patch for balloons including a flexible fabricated element having a raveled extremity and a tongue to secure the extremity to the balloon, the tongue comprising upper and lower portions adapted to receive between them the raveled ex tremity of the flexible element, said raveled extremity being secured against withdrawal from between the portions of the tongue.

4. A suspension patch for balloons including a flexiblefabricated element having each extremity raveled, a tongue for each extremity whereby each of said extremities may be attached to the balloon, each of said tongues comprising a pair pf mating pieces between which the raveled extremity of the flexible element is secured, said ton ues being angularly related to each other w en applied to the balloon.

'5. In a suspension patch for balloons, a pair of flexible'elements having bight loops arranged in substantial coincidence, composite finger pieces arranged to anchoreach extremity of the pair of flexible elements, said fingers being grouped to radiate over the surroundingarea of the balloon body from the coinciding loops as a center, an under patch securing all of said tongues in a unitary group, and a cover patch supplementing the eflect of said under patch, the loops 0 said suspension elements projecting through patch.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name in the presence of a subscribing witboth the under patchand the cover 

